Select a region
Islanders are being urged to enter the inaugural Bowel Cancer Guernsey Skipathon.
The Skipathon, which takes place on 7th May at Beau Sejour, is being supported by the Health Promotion Unit. It’s hoped that hundreds of people of all ages and fitness levels will skip for the charity.
Teams of up to ten people will skip for an hour and whilst the aim is to raise money for the charity the organisers hope it will get participants to think about their own health and fitness.
Research shows that people who are physically active have a reduced risk of developing bowel cancer. In fact, the largest studies show that exercise could reduce the risk of colon cancer by up to 25 per cent.
Diane Mathews, the Health Promotion Unit’s Cancer Prevention Officer said: "Skipping is a great cardiovascular exercise, it’s great for upper body strength and burns more calories than jogging. It’s a really cheap and fun way to add more exercise into your daily routine and the whole family can give it a try."
One of the organisers, Anne Brouard from Bowel Cancer Guernsey, says: "We hope families, businesses and sports clubs will get involved and enter a team. Each team will be given a one-hour time slot and you can have up to ten people in a team."
It costs £25 to enter per team. There will be prizes of Beau Sejour memberships and Beau Cinema tickets for most skips completed in an hour, most money raised and best team spirit and every team that enters will be given five skipping ropes. Participants will also take part in a warm-up session led by exercise instructors and receive free water.
A diet high in red or processed meats and low in fibre and being overweight and inactive will increase the risk of developing bowel cancer. Age, family history and smoking and high alcohol consumption are also factors.
Diane concludes: "There will be a great atmosphere at the event and it’s a fun way to remind ourselves that leading an active life and eating a healthy diet can make a big difference to our risk of developing some cancers."
